A smooth texture is used to create a flat wall with no eye-catching marks or patterns. A smooth texture is typical a Level 4 or a Level 5 drywall finish. It is currently a popular choice, although it is one of the only textures that will never look dated given the timeless appreciation of smooth walls. Smooth walls require the most labor. Smooth walls are the easiest to clean. Smooth walls are the most guaranteed to have a repair match the original.
Because gypsum board is not a perfect material, a wall will never be perfectly smooth. A Level 5 drywall finish is as smooth as it gets. It will hold up for glossy paints, dark paints, or any extreme lighting conditions.
It's easy to clean.
It can be painted, or if you're a chaotic person you can put a heavy knockdown texture on it. You can easily move from a smooth finish to any of the other textures. The reverse is not true, it will take more work to move from a popcorn ceiling to a smooth ceiling.
Smooth walls are trendy. Just like the removal of serifs and other daily ornamentation from daily life, smooth walls a sign of hipness.
If starting from new drywall, finish the wall to a Level 4 or Level 5 finish depending on your use case.
